Category: Math

Jan 23 2018 January 23, 2018 May 2, 2018 NoComment by David

3rd Grade Measurement Books

Posted in 3rd Grade, Language Arts, Math

Third graders at Holladay Elementary have been learning about U.S. Customary and Metric units of measurement for length, capacity, and mass (SOL3.9). Today, students in Ms. Whittaker’s class created their own interactive measurement ebook. First we reviewed the different units and each student selected one. We tried to make sure that most of the units were chosen and that there weren’t too many duplicates. Next, we signed into BookCreator with the teacher’s class code. On the first page each student typed the name of their unit and drew a picture of it with the drawing tools. On the second page, they typed a sentence explaining what kinds of things are measured with that unit–big things, little things, light things, heavy things, liquids, etc. We also recorded a video, but those had problems loading, so next time I would probably just add a photo. On the last page students used the built-in image search to add photos of objects that could be measured with the unit. When they finished, the teacher combined the individual student chapters into one book that you can read here. (UPDATE: I taught a similar lesson to Ms. Cathcart’s class at Varina, and you can read their book here).


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Jan 11 2018 January 11, 2018 March 28, 2018 NoComment by David

3rd Grade Plant & Animal Measurements

Posted in 3rd Grade, Math, Science

Third graders at Varina Elementary have been learning about plants and animals in Science (SOL3.6) and about measurement in Math (SOL3.9). Today students in Ms. Hummel’s class created a 3-D scene where the visitor can estimate the measurement of a plant or animal, and check their answer. First, we created the 3-D scene using CoSpaces. I showed them how to choose a background with the Environment button and add objects with the Library button. Since there is a limited number of plants and animals in the Library, the students had to choose one of those to measure. Next, they opened a new tab and searched the Internet for the plant’s or animal’s actual measurements. Back in CoSpaces, they added two panels from the Library and typed the correct measurement on one panel, and a different measurement on the other (maybe with a different unit or amount). I showed them how to right click on the objects in the scene and activate them to be used in Blockly (the coding language). Finally, we clicked the code button and programmed the objects so that when the visitor clicks a panel, something lets them know that they are right or wrong (maybe a person says something or an object turns a color). The student’s posted the links to their scenes on Schoology for their classmates to explore, but you can see them all here.


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Jan 02 2018 January 2, 2018 March 26, 2018 NoComment by David

4th Grade Measurement Comics

Posted in 4th Grade, Language Arts, Math

Fourth graders at Holladay Elementary have been learning about measurement in Math (weight SOL4.6, length SOL4.7, and liquid capcity SOL4.8). Today, students in Ms. Truda’s class researched some measurements and created measurement comics using StoryboardThat. First, we reviewed the different customary and metric units. I explained that they could pick one or more things they were curious about and research its measurements. I asked them if one thing could have more than one measurement? For example, how many different measurements would a couch have? (Answer: four – length, width, height, and weight). If the object they chose was something in the classroom, they could actually measure it, but if it was outside the classroom, they could ask Google for its measurements. I demonstrated how to use the microphone on a Google search page to ask a question like, “How tall is a giraffe?” Once they had their measurements, they made their comics on StoryboardThat. StoryboardThat has an amazing collection of clip art, so with a bit of creativity (and use of the search box), students were able to find all the backgrounds and characters they needed to show their measurements. We took screenshots of our comics and posted them to a Schoology album. You can see them all here.


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Dec 07 2017 December 7, 2017 March 5, 2018 NoComment by David

5th Grade Comparing Fractions & Decimals

Posted in 5th Grade, Math

Fifth graders at Varina Elementary have been learning how to compare fractions and decimals (SOL5.2). Today students in Ms. Messer’s class learned how use a spreadsheet to convert fractions to decimals and compare them. First, we opened a blank Google spreadsheet and wrote the following column headers: Fraction 1, Compare, Fraction 2, (Blank), Decimal 1, Compare, Decimal 2. In order to make the two fraction columns look like fractions, I showed them how to click in the numerator cell, then use the cell format button (it looks like 4 squares in the toolbar) to add a line at the bottom. Then they entered a numerator and a denominator for the two fractions. To convert the fractions into decimals, the students needed to write a formula. I explained that the formula would use cell addresses (like A2 or C3) instead of particular numbers so that we could change the numbers and the formula would still work. This is a great way to help students understand the concept of a variable (SOL5.18). They helped me develop the formula =A2/A3 for the first fraction, and I expected them to figure out the formula for the second fraction =C2/C3. The formula for comparing them is a bit more complicated, but they were able to figure it out with guidance:

=IF (E2 > G2, “>”, IF (E2 < G2,"<","="))

Basically it says if the left decimal is greater than the right decimal, show the greater than symbol; if it’s less, show the less than symbol; otherwise show equals. Finally, we added a simple formula to compare the fractions by just copying the same symbol from that cell =F2. The students were excited to see their formulas work, even when they changed the fractions. You can see all their examples here.


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Dec 06 2017 December 6, 2017 February 28, 2018 NoComment by David

3rd Grade Measurement Movies

Posted in 5th Grade, Math

Third graders at Laburnum have been learning about liquid measurement in Math (SOL3.9b), so today students in Ms. Hunt’s and Ms. Gradeles’ classes created measurement movies with WeVideo. Students could choose whether to work alone or with a partner. We reviewed the units of liquid measurement they have been learning about: cup, pint, quart, gallon, and liter. They chose one unit and used books, notes, and the Internet to find examples of liquids that would be measured by their unit. I showed them how to download images from a Google image search by right clicking on them and choosing “Save image as…” Then we went to WeVideo and signed in with our Google accounts. WeVideo starts out in Timeline mode, which is a little complicated, so we switched to Storyboard Mode (click on the 3 lines in the top left corner). This reveals a Title screen at the bottom. I instructed the students to click the pencil icon on the Title screen to change the title to their unit of measurement. Then students pressed the red record button, and (after installing the necessary webcam extension) recorded themselves introducing their topic. I showed them how to upload the images they had saved earlier by clicking the green cloud icon. Students added the images to their video by clicking and dragging them down in the order they wanted them to appear. Finally the students selected a Theme with music by clicking the magic wand button. We found that we needed to switch back to Timeline mode to lower the volume of the music so we could hear our voices. Once our movies were complete, we clicked the Finish button and copied the link into Schoology. Now students can watch each other’s videos for a fun review of the units of liquid measurement! You can see them all here.


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Nov 30 2017 November 30, 2017 February 21, 2018 NoComment by David

3rd Grade Greece & Rome Multiplication Comics

Posted in 3rd Grade, Math, Social Studies

Third graders at Varina Elementary have been studying multiplication in Math (SOL3.5), and they have been learning about Greece and Rome in History (SOL3.1). Today, students in Ms. Lanham’s class used StoryboardThat to create comics about Greece or Rome with a multiplication problem to solve. First, we reviewed the concept of multiplication. It is repeated addition of the same number, or it can be thought of as equal groups. Next, we discussed life in ancient Greece and Rome and brainstormed some possible multiplication problems. Farmers may have problems dealing with the number of grapes or olives they can grow in equal rows or put into jars. Shipbuilders may have to solve how many people can fit in each boat. Priests may have to figure out how many designs are on each column of the temple. Once we had our ideas, we went to StoryboardThat, and I showed them where they could find Greece and Rome backgrounds (Scenes > Historical, Rustic, or Outdoor). There are also Greece and Rome people in Characters > Classical Era. Finally, they added speech bubbles (Textables) to explain the multiplication problem in their comic. The first panel might explain how many items are in each group. The second panel might explain how many equal groups there are in all. The third panel could ask about the total number of items. We took screenshots of our comics and shared them in a Schoology discussion so we could solve each other’s problems. You can see them all here. If you’d like to see more examples, I also taught this lesson to Ms. Cathcart’s and Ms. Haley’s classes.


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Nov 16 2017 November 16, 2017 February 9, 2018 NoComment by David

4th Grade Virginia Tally Marks & Graphs

Posted in 4th Grade, Math, Social Studies

Fourth graders at Varina Elementary have been learning about Virginia geography (VS.2) and Jamestown (VS.3) in Social Studies, and they have been making bar graphs in Math (SOL4.14). Today students in Ms. Belcher’s class chose a Virginia topic, created a spinner out of its subtopics, tallied the spins, and graphed the results. First, we reviewed various topics they could use to generate their spinner subtopics: Virginia Rivers, Virginia Regions, Indian Language Groups, Problems at Jamestown, Bordering States, etc. Next, we created our custom spinners using a cool webtool called WheelDecide. Then they spun the spinner as many times as they could in two minutes and tallied the results on paper. To make the graph, we used a Google spreadsheet. I showed them how to access their Google shortcuts (the array of 9 tiny squares in the top right corner of a Google search page), and we opened a new spreadsheet. In the first column we typed the spinner subtopics, and in the second column we typed the number of tallies for each one. Then we highlighted the columns, pressed the graph button, and a bar graph appeared! I showed the students how to change the colors of the bars, if they wanted. We shared our spreadsheets on Schoology, but you can see them all here. Can you guess the main topics just by looking at the graphs?


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Nov 13 2017 November 13, 2017 February 6, 2018 NoComment by David

3rd Grade Moon Cycle Animations

Posted in 3rd Grade, Math, Science

Third graders at Trevvett Elementary have been learning about moon cycles in Science (3.8a) and multiplication in Math (SOL3.5). Today students in Ms. Bae’s class solved multiplication moon problems and created their own moon cycle animation with ABCYa! Animate. First, I posted a discussion on Schoology with an animated image of the phases of the moon so they could get an idea of the type of animation they were going to create. I pointed out that the light starts on the right side and advances over to the left side of the moon. We reviewed the four phases: first quarter, full moon, last (or third) quarter, and new moon. We also talked about why they were called quarters when they look like halves (the moon is always half light and half dark but the cycle is divided into four parts, or quarters). The discussion question stated: “You have learned that the moon goes through four phases in about one month. How many phases would it got through in __ months? Insert your own number in the blank and solve the problem.” Students were able to review their knowledge of multiplication and the moon while using the discussion feature for the first time. Next, we went to ABCYa! Animate, and I showed them how to create a picture of the new moon by creating a black background and adding a grey circle. We used the Text Tool to type “New Moon.” Then we made a copy of the picture with the Copy Cat button. We typed “1st Quarter” and painted the right half white. We continued in this manner, making copies and adding details, until all four phases were illustrated. Finally, we turned on Looping and pressed the Play button. The students loved seeing their own animated moon cycle! We shared the exported GIFs in a Schoology album, but you can see them all here.


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Nov 01 2017 November 1, 2017 January 29, 2018 NoComment by David

3rd Grade Multiplication Arrays

Posted in 3rd Grade, Math

Third graders at Laburnum Elementary have been learning about multiplication arrays (SOL3.6), so today students in Ms. Forrester’s class created videos explaining multiplication arrays with Educreations. First, we reviewed arrays and how to use them to solve a multiplication problem. I pointed out that they probably wouldn’t want to make a big array (like 12×12) because they will need room on their picture to explain each step. Next, we went to ABCYa! Paint to create the array since it has some cool stickers (robots, monsters, cupcakes, etc) they can use. I reviewed the importance of aligning the groups neatly. When they finished, we imported the image into Educreations and recorded ourselves counting the groups and explaining how many were in each group. Finally, we wrote the multiplication problem and solved it. Each student posted the link to their video in Schoology, but you can see them all here. (I taught a similar lesson with Ms. Kazlau’s class at Trevvett where we used ABCYa! Animate. You can see those here).


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Oct 16 2017 October 16, 2017 December 15, 2017 NoComment by David

3rd Grade Animal Habitats Graph

Posted in 3rd Grade, Math, Science

We’re on an animal habitats streak here! In previous posts I’ve shown how your habitats unit (SOL3.4) can reinforce the skills you are teaching in Social Studies and Reading. Now we’ll see how it can reinforce Math concepts as well. At Trevvett Elementary, third graders have been learning about graphing (3.17), so today students in Ms. Bae’s class practiced graphing animal’s habitats. First we had to collect some data. I used Fobio to convert a Google form into a chatbot to make the process a bit more interesting. You can try the chatbot out for yourself by clicking here. Once the students had entered their information, I took a screenshot of the results spreadsheet and posted it to Schoology (step 2 in the graphic accompanying this post). Next the students opened a blank Google spreadsheet and typed the habitats in Column A and the number of animals in Column B. I showed them how to use the new “Explore” feature by clicking the star shape in the bottom right corner. From the pop-up window they could change the colors of the rows and automatically add a bar graph (step 3 in the graphic). I explained that they could also change the colors of the bars by double clicking on one of them, then clicking the paint bucket in the pop-up window. The students shared the links to their spreadsheets on Schoology. You can see an example here. (UPDATE: The next day at Holladay, Ms. Haley’s class combined Math & Science by writing math word problems about animals. See them here).


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